The present invention relates to an input device for beating input, game machine, simulated percussion instrument and program.
One electronic percussion instrument is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2944042.
This electronic percussion instrument includes a centrally located circular head portion and a beating area which is formed around the outer periphery thereof and which has a rim portion. Both the head and rim portions can be used for input.
The rim portion includes an annular-shaped resistant surface and electrodes connected to the opposite ends of the resistant surface. The rim portion is connected to a circuit board or the like through the electrodes.
However, the annular-shaped resistant surface will function as an electrical resistance, such that signal transfer time will be varied depending on the distance from the electrodes.
This raises a problem in that such an electronic percussion instrument cannot be used as an input device, for example, in a music game machine which is designed to evaluate the quick timing of input.
With such an electronic percussion instrument, the head portion includes only a single circular head sensor.
However, this raises another problem in that if one of two drum sticks is unconsciously left on the head portion, no input signal can be received even when the other drum stick is used to apply the beating input to the head sensor.